


Sleep on the Floor

by SaraiCat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Beer, Best Friends, Dean Winchester is Protective of Castiel, Diners, Escapism, Friends to Lovers, Impala, M/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Road Trips, Sad Castiel, Sad Castiel/Dean Winchester, Singer Castiel, Sleeping in the Impala, Songfic, Whiskey & Scotch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 17:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7901728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraiCat/pseuds/SaraiCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Songfic. Castiel is tired of the life he's living and fears that he is wasting his life with things he doesn't enjoy. He wants to escape and write music. However Dean loves the life that he is living, he feels fulfilled with the women and bars that occupy his time.  But when Dean hears his best friend's feelings he decides that a road trip would be suitable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep on the Floor

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, Guys. I love Roadtrip AU's and desperately want to go on my own road trip. I was looking up road trip songs and I found Sleep on the Floor by The Lumineers and I fell in love with it. I made this fic loosely based on my interpretation of the lyrics. I hope you enjoy the fic and take the time to listen to the song before or after. Have Fun!

Dean stumbled into the room with the taste of a woman and faded alcohol on his lips as he nursed a pounding head. There on the couch not far from the door Dean entered sat Castiel huddled with his notepad. He glanced towards Castiel then headed for the kitchen and Castiel heard the cupboards opening. The distant sound of glasses clanking together hummed in the background and soon after the tap was turned on spewing water. The sound of pills banging against their container and rough groans escaping Dean. Then the sound of distant footsteps became louder and Castiel glanced back down at the note pad pretending he wasn't listening. Dean walked in with what sounded like the weight of the world on his shoulders and sprawled on the couch just a bit further than were Castiel currently inhabited. Castiel could smell the alcohol on him and out of the corner of his eye could see the hints of the affectionate bruise creeping above Dean's t-shirt collar. Hints of a traditionally feminine fragrance wafted the air. “How was your day?” asked Castiel politely breaking the comfortable silence. “It was great and you know what I mean. She was a head turner” Dean said with a bit of a smirk twisting his tired features. “Are you going to see her again?” Castiel asked still making eye contact with the notepad on his lap than Dean. “Nah I'll probably get a new chick” Dean said shrugging as if it had no importance. Castiel had begun to worry about his friend he always was in some bar with some conventionally attractive female now that summer break had begun. He hadn't even seen Sam since the summer break because he was at Jessica's family cottage. Dean was incredibly proud of Sam and it showed but he also missed Sam dearly. Castiel could sense the affects it's been having on Dean. Now that they are no longer so co-dependent on each other. Specially since Sam is living with Jessica and Castiel with Dean. Castiel's inherited supple wealth paid for leasing the apartment and their lifestyles quite easily. But he was exhausted of it, of him and Dean being expected to join family business with no questions. The same repeated bar hopping lifestyle Dean lived and dragged Castiel along once in a while. He just couldn't handle it.

 

_And when we looked outside_  
Couldn't even see the sky  
How do you pay the rent  
Is it your parents  
Or is hard work dear  
Holding the atmosphere  
I don't wanna live like that, yeah

 

 

He wanted something more than this. More than following footsteps and shitty beer. He wanted to write and he wanted adventure. He wanted to feel free. Not like he currently did, like he was living in a box. Castiel sighed and he could hear Dean shift beside him on the couch to a much less relaxed seating position. “Cas, buddy are you okay?” Dean asked and Castiel laughed trying to sound lighthearted but the laugh hurt his chest. “Do you ever think you want more than this?” asked Castiel turning to face Dean. “What ya mean? This is great Cas, beer and women and living with ya” Dean said shaking his friend's shoulder. “Ya but that's all we ever do. I don't want to just spend my days knee deep in women and beer. We only get so much time on this Earth Dean and I don't want to look back thinking about how I wasted it. I want to live. I want experiences. I can't keep going on like this” Castiel said burying his head in his hands in defeat.

 

_'Cause if we don't leave this town_  
We might never make it out  
I was not born to drown  
Baby come on

 

 

Of course Dean wouldn't understand this is like his utopia. “Listen if this is about the bars you don't have to go with me if you...” Dean said till Castiel cut him off “DEAN... it's not about the bars”. “So you really don't like this lifestyle then?” Dean asked with a bit of an uncomfortable manner in his tone. Dean hated dealing with feelings and Castiel knew he was uncomfortable. “No I just... I just think that if we don't take our chance to live in the present that we may never get that chance again. One day your studying then the next your on your death bed” Castiel said glancing from the side of his eye at Dean. His teeth was gritted and it looked like he didn't know what to say which is why it didn't surprise Castiel when he said “Dude that's morbid”. “DEAN” Castiel said in annoyance. “Fine if you really feel that way let's go” Dean said and Castiel's eyes widened in shock. “What do you mean?” he asked curiosity plaguing his tone. “Let's go on a road trip” Dean said an Castiel could see the sparkle of excitement in his eyes now that he had the idea in his head. “Dean...” Castiel said shaking his head. “Oh hell no. You do not get to give me the whole we are wasting our lives speech then turn down a road trip” Dean says grasping Castiel's shoulder firmly. “Are we really doing this?” Castiel asked and Dean responded with a blunt “hell yes”. Then they were packing. “Don't forget to bring a toothbrush your morning breath ain't so pretty” Dean said poking his head into Castiel's room of their two-bedroom apartment. Castiel just shook his head with a small smile and kept packing.

 

_Pack yourself a toothbrush dear_  
Pack yourself a favorite blouse  
Take a withdrawal slip  
Take all of your savings out

 

They packed any items they believed they would need and then decided that they would begin traveling that night but first needed a nap. So there they both feel asleep on the couch together accidentally when sat down to watch tv and somewhere in the falling unconscious mind of Castiel he thought that this road trip might be the best thing he ever does. But the thought was barely coherent in a swirling sinking tired mind.

 

Castiel awoke first and saw Dean sleeping there still with his back propped up against the back of the couch. His limbs laid loose like an inactive puppet waiting for its puppeteer. Castiel hoped this road trip would strengthen their friendship not that they weren't good friends, they were. It's just that life had made them distanced, separate lately. At first, it was school then it was the bars and women. Castiel missed being so close with Dean and was envious of the bars and women who stole that title from him. He got up and went to the kitchen leaving quiet footsteps trailing him so he wouldn't wake his friend. He grabbed the pancake mix, eggs, bacon and a variety of containers and pans. He began cooking...

 

“dean..Dean...DEAN” Castiel said while shaking Dean's shoulder in an attempt to get him to awake. “Cas..jus' give me five more minutes of shut eye” Dean whined while shielding his eyes with his hand in annoyance. Castiel was about to tell Dean about the breakfast he prepared when he saw Deans nose wrinkle slightly. “Do I smell bacon?” Dean asked peeking through parted fingers that covered his face. “Yes, I made breakfast” Castiel said letting out a huff of air in relief at least I caught his interest he thought. “You got me at bacon” Dean said with a smirk playing upon hazy morning features. He climbed to a sitting position and slowly a standing one. Castiel lead him over to the kitchen table that held two plates. One with a pile of pancakes and bacon and the other with sunny side up eggs and bacon. Dean noticed how dark the room was and saw the curtains covering the window. That was strange, Cas always opens the window he thought. So decidedly he flinged open the curtains and stood there shocked. “Cas it's either the end of the world or it's night” Dean exclaimed still a bit shocked about his best friends behaviour. Cas was always a bit weird but this is a whole new deal Dean thought to himself turning to Castiel. “It is not the end of the world, Dean” Castiel responded like they weren't about to eat breakfast at what looked like 1am in the morning. “Why are we eating breakfast at this time at night? For fuck sakes” Dean asked more baffled than angry. “Well we decided that we would be leaving our usual lifestyle and this is different. We just woke up so I thought that it would be an appropriate time for breakfast” Castiel said. “Well you thought wrong” Dean retorted back still a little wordless at the strange behaviour. Castiel just glanced down at the floor hiding the hurt in his eyes and Dean felt like he had been punched in the gut. “Listen Cas...” he said trailing off not knowing where to proceed with his sentence. Castiel sat down (at the plate full of eggs and bacon) and began chewing mindlessly on a piece of bacon. “It's okay Dean. I know I'm being crazy. It's stupid never mind” Castiel said and he sounded so defeated none of the determination he admired (loved?) in his friend. Dean felt like he had single handily broken Cas' dreams and decided that wouldn't do. “No it's not stupid and we're doing this. The breakfast just threw me off. Thanks Cas” Dean said and was pleasantly surprised when Castiel raised his head looking at Dean with a grateful yet determined expression. Dean sat down in front of his pile of pancakes and bacon and began eating. The food was great. He was glad Cas was with him even with his quirks.

 

As spontaneous as this trip was they still didn't want others to worry without reason so they decided to say their goodbyes. Dean could hear the low humming of Cas' footsteps on the ground as he paced and the hushed voice he used with Gabriel in the next room. Castiel was an orphan who lived with his brother till he was old enough to move out by himself. So naturally Gabriel was quite protective however Dean knew that Gabriel understood that Cas needed this trip. Also, he would trust Dean to make sure Cas stayed safe, everyone always did say Cas and him balanced each other out. Dean hesitated, he knew his mother wasn't going to be up not like Gabriel was because of the fact that is was 1 o' clock in the morning. So he didn't have to worry about catching his mother answering the phone but he felt like this phone call made things final. But as he could hear Cas reaching the end of the phone call with Gabriel he thought that this was inevitable and he needed to get it over with.

 

Searching through his contact he found the one tiled 'Mom'. Clicking the phone icon it began to hum and he waited till the answering machine responded “Hello it's Mary Winchester and I seem to be busy at the moment but I will call you back as soon as I get the chance. Thank you, leave a message after the beep”. The beep interrupted Mary's voice and Dean found himself with a small smile on his face listening to his mother's cheery recorded voice. “Hey, mom. Listen uh. Cas and I are going on this road trip and we don't know where but we are leaving in uh. a couple of minutes so call me back when ya can” Dean said then hanging up on the call.

 

_Let your mother know you're safe_  
And by the time she wakes  
We'll have driven through the state  
We'll have driven through the night  
Baby come on

 

They had been driving for hours. Dean in charge of the stereo, playing all of his favorite albums and singing along in a very hoarse off tune singing voice. Dean thought this would annoy the other man due to his singing ability and song writing ability but no Cas just gave a small smile and when back to scribbling song verses on a note pad. He hadn't seen Cas write so much in a long time and that's when dean knew he had made the right decision. This road trip was the right decision.

 

“Dean” Castiel spoke stopping Dean in the middle of one of his favorite songs in the Highway to Hell album by AC/DC. “What?” he said hoarsely from the singing and the annoyance at the interruption. “We should switch drivers and eat soon,at, ” Cas said raising an eyebrow slightly to see if Dean would oppose the idea of Cas driving his 'baby'. Dean was about to protest but then he heard his stomach rumble (we needed some grub) and besides he trusted Cas, he would take good care of her. “Ya yer right. Keep your eyes open for a place to eat” Dean replied.

 

They drove through the forest with no sign of a food source. Then they came up to what looked like a small town. At the beginning of it stood a small burger joint and a park across the street. The place was a bit empty but looked promising after hours on the road. The signs were neon and broken but they promised best burgers in the state and Dean was awfully hungry. They walked in and the place was pretty classic looking and Dean already was pleasantly surprised. Cas knew Dean would appreciate the aesthetic of the place and turned his gaze to his friend and saw the elated look on his face. The place was checkered with red booths and a jukebox on a raised center in the middle of the burger joint. Electric guitars filled the walls and some rock and roll tune was playing through out the room. There were only a handful of people there, some clearly on dates, others were small families. It felt so comfortable.

 

Then a waiter approached them as they waited to be seated. The waiter was a thin brunette with dark eyes and long legs and a red button up shirt and yellow waitress apron around her waist. Castiel watched as Dean ran his eyes along the curves of her body and a small smirk appearing on his face. Castiel sighs at this point, he's falling back into their regular life that we were supposed to leave Cas thought. Dean didn't notice the sigh that escaped Cas since his attention was on the waiter who was twirling her hair between rouge painted nails.

 

“I'm Abby,” she said grabbing a menu then noticed Cas trailing behind Dean and grabbed a second. She led them to a red booth and Dean watched as she swung her hips extravagantly. Then stopping at the booth she waited for the men to sit the leaning over the table she wiped it with a cloth. Straightening back out she said “Hello. Welcome to the Rock star Cafe. What do u planning on having this fine day?” Abby spoke biting her lip slightly. Dean had been so caught up in the girl he hadn't even looked at the menu so when Cas spoke up he was a little surprised “I'll have a burger and fries. With a beer to drink,” Castiel said and this made Dean turn to Cas with eyebrows raised. His friend never usually drinks unless he's going through a hard time or Dean persuades him.

 

Then Castiel got up from the table and headed towards the bathroom sign located in the burger joint. 'He should of saw this coming, Dean won't just give up his ways because of this trip. You're so stupid to even entertain the idea' Castiel thought to himself while staring intensely into the mirror in the burger joint washroom. He didn't feel like he looked like himself. Tilting his head he watched the mirror reflection copy and then he felt stupid because this was his life Dean hitting on waiters and feeling forced and tired. Hatting the future that was set up for him and not being able to write good enough songs. Feeling so utterly lost, maybe he shouldn't have done this with Dean. He knows that he would miss Dean though but finding yourself accompanied by Dean had been a bad idea. 'Maybe he should have gone alone, maybe he should go and not come back' Castiel though and splashed cold water on his face. But it didn't help not with him feeling lost and certainly not with Dean hitting on the waiter.

 

Then he took a deep breath and exited the washroom. My eyes snapping to were I left Dean there sat Dean with the waiter and they had both Cas and his meals in front of them. 'I told you he wouldn't change' Cas thought to himself and he looked at the door of the burger joint, he could see the rain spewing outside. Then looking back at Dean one last time he strode towards the door. Launching himself into the heavy rain, he sighed heavily as he passed the impala as flashes of Dean with the waiter passed through his head. He bit his lip and passed it crossing the street in a jay walking manner. There he stood at the mouth of a park. The park was empty and the sand was wet due to the pouring rain. There was in the dreary park sat a bench made out of wet wood and rusty metal. Castiel sat down feeling the water seeping through the layers of clothing and running through his hair. The rain drops making spots on his trench coat as he hunched forward leaning his chin on his fists that rested on his knees.

 

_If the sun doesn't shine on me today_  
And if the subways flood and bridges break  
Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave  
Or will you rail against your dying day

 

'The lines on the map couldn't let me escape from my lifestyle. I can't get out of this life, it's stuck to me. Dean's habits are living evidence of that fact. I just wanted to get away with my friend but no, I'm never good enough to convince him to leave the lifestyle. What's that saying? You can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink' Castiel thought as heard the ground squish under footsteps nearby. There on the other side of Castiel, he heard the wet park bench squeak lightly as the body rested its weight upon the old structure. A hand placed on Castiel's shoulder and it was wet and heavy.

 

“Cas, buddy what's up?” Dean said shaking Castiel's shoulder slightly. Castiel exhaled heavily “Storm clouds and falling precipitation”. Cas could hear Dean take a breath in clearly trying to be patient with the other man. “Cas, man why did you walk out on me?” Dean asked leaning towards his friend trying to capture his attention but Castiel continued to look forward. “Are you mad because I was with the waitress?” Dean exclaimed eyebrows raised slightly. “Yeah,” Castiel sighed. “You can 'ave her man. Nothin' special really just a diner girl don't bother me” Dean said making Castiel turn towards him till they were facing each other.

 

Castiel watched as a raindrop got caught in Dean's eyelashes slightly magnifying his swirling green eyes. His face was wet slightly with raindrops hanging of his cupids bow and the ends of his strand of hair. “It's not about the girl Dean” he said staring intensely at him almost baffled that he would come to such a conclusion. “Then what the hell is it about Cas?” Dean said his tone jumping in volume. “It's about..It's about you falling back into the same lifestyle I'm trying to take a break from Dean. Flirting with some random diner girl doesn't that seem a lot like before we left” Castiel said his voice reaching the same volume Dean's had climbed to. “Why do you wanna leave this lifestyle so badly Cas? We had it all” Dean exclaimed quickly adding “It was just a fucking Diner girl”. “I just do care. Dean you had it all. You had unlimited girls and sex and booze and a good future job. Everything you wanted. Did you ever consider for just one second that wasn’t what I wanted? If you didn't want to leave your lifestyle then maybe you shouldn't have come” Castiel said through clenched teeth as he got up and walked deeper into the park leaving Dean and the park bench behind.

 

“Cas, man I'm sorry okay? Just listen to me” Dean yelled at him from behind but Castiel kept walking with no sense of a destination just that he needed to get away from this. Castiel felt the digging fingers into his shoulders as Dean spun him around standing quite close and he watched closely as the anger crashing against the edges of his green irises. His features twisted with frustration as he grabbed the collar of Castiel's trench coat. “Well it's not like you're giving me a choice” Castiel snarled back and him and he could feel Dean's hot breath race back onto his skin. Castiel pushed Dean away leaving them both stumbling. “I'm sorry man I just got so caught up lovin' the lifestyle I thought you did too. I said I'd always be here for ya. Sam isn't around so much anymore and yer the only one I really got left. If you need a road trip to help you take a break from the lifestyle then of course I’ll be here for you. You're like family to me” Dean said running a hand through his hair then scratching the back of his neck clearly uncomfortable at the exchange of the emotion filled words. “Thank you, Dean” Castiel spoke gratefully his anger simmering down to mere nothing.

 

“Let's get the food and eat in baby and dry off,” he said gesturing to his car still parked across the street in the diner parking lot. “What about the waitress?” Castiel asked confused about Dean's future actions after he so clearly already led her on. “Screw her. I'm 'ere for you right now” Dean said patting Castiel's back playfully.

 

...

 

The sky was beautiful Castiel thought as he looked at the stars then the cluster of freckles covering the bridge of Dean's nose. Not that different. At all. They had been driving for hours and they found a liquor store and there Dean went in and bought his choice of liquor or a 'good time' as he calls it. In the plaza across the street there was a small antique store clothing store that caught Castiel's eye. He slipped out of the impala and headed on a small but valuable mission.

 

“It's beautiful” Castiel hummed out loud and Dean laughed holding out the bottle of whiskey out for Castiel. Castiel took it gulping back a bit and handed it back to Dean as he felt the slight burn in his throat. They both already had a couple of swigs and he could see the tension in Dean's shoulders relax. “Ya know my mom always told me angels were watching over me as a kid and I dunno it kinda stuck with me. I know it sounds stupid but do you ever think there could be something like that out there?” Dean asked turning towards Cas with a hint of a loose grin on his face offering the whiskey. “I hope so. I hope that there's more than this or it just sucks” Cas replied taking a long swig from the bottle.

 

Castiel reached into his trench coat pocket pulling out a black bow tie letting his fingers run over the worn fabric. “Cas whatcha got there? Why the hell do you have a bow tie?” Dean asked laughing at his friends oddities. “I've never worn a bow tie” he announced slipping it on to his neck and fastening it. “You thought now was a good time for a bow tie?” Dean asked still laughing slightly tilted as if he can't control his response to Cas' actions. “Now is as good of a time as any” Castiel replied tugging slightly at the aforementioned object circulating his neck. “I suppose,” Dean said almost thoughtfully then began laughing again. Castiel quickly slipped behind Dean and Dean felt brief fingers and a rubbing of a worn material. The fingers disappeared as Castiel appeared back at his side. Dean looked down to see a worn tie hanging down over his black t-shirt and leather jacket. “A tie?” Dean asked. “A tie” Castiel responded.

 

_Jesus Christ can't save me tonight_  
Put on your dress, yes wear something nice  
Decide on me, yea decide on us

 

Castiel adjusted the tie moving closer as he did so. Dean was used to this lack of personal space it was practically embedded in the blueprints of his and Cas' friendship. Castiel looked up to see Dean watching Cas' actions and Cas eyes dropped to the loose grin Dean wore on his lips accentuating his cupids bow. They were quite close as he could feel the breath rolling off Dean's tongue hitting his face. The funny thing about space is you don't notice till it's not there. Castiel's lips crashed on to Dean like the roar of waves on rocks. Dean responded efficiently knotting his fingers in Castiel's trench coat and Cas ran his hands up the back of Dean's neck.

 

_Forget what Father Brennan said  
We were not born in sin_

 

 

Dean pulled back first a tiny string of saliva hanging from his lips which he quickly wiped off. His mouth hung open clearly in shock at making out with his best friend but he was still far too drunk to fully comprehend. “Shocked?” Castiel laughed lightheartedly. “Yeah” Dean replied staring at his best friends unfocused ocean blue eyes. “Good or Bad?” Castiel quizzed while laughing. “Does it matter?” Dean asked confused. “I guess not” Castiel laughed again as he connected there lips slightly grinning drunkenly into the kiss.

 

_Pack yourself a toothbrush dear_  
Pack yourself a favourite blouse  
Take a withdrawal slip  
Take all of your savings out  
'Cause if we don't leave this town  
We might never make it out


End file.
